The Impacts of Organizational Job Engagement Strategies on Community College Employees' Perceptions of their Roles in Student Success Initiatives

This study analyzes employee engagement strategies at six Midwestern
community colleges as related to the employees’ perceptions of their own impacts on
student success. A review of organizational theory and employee motivation research
provided the foundation for a framework of engagement strategies, while a review of the
literature concerning student success provided the context for connecting student success with employee success. Through a quantitative survey, employees were asked about their participation in orientation and mentoring programs, as well as their involvement in goalsetting, professional development, and preparedness to assist students. Mean values of both engagement and preparedness were calculated, and CCSSE data from participating institutions were used to compare employees’ perceptions of engagement with students’ perceptions of supportive institutional environments. Qualitative document analysis of materials from the participating colleges
provided a method of triangulation that allowed researchers to consider content of the
engagement strategies connected with higher levels of employee engagement and student satisfaction in order to determine what strategies and program content would have the greatest impacts on employee engagement and lead to greater student success. Structured employee engagement programs were found to enhance employee engagement and commitment to the mission of community colleges and to have the potential to positively impact student success. Mentoring was shown to have a greater impact than orientation on employees’ preparedness to assist students and on employee engagement in the community college mission. Both mentoring and orientation increased employees’ participation in goal-setting and professional development opportunities